Arcanum Sequel?

[Tanjaxxx]

I was kinda thinking...since (or at least, I've been told this) at least two from the three who worked at Trojka games work in Obsidian now...they should consider making Arcanum Steamworks of Magic 2???! :D 

 

If it wasn't rushed, I'm pretty certain Arcanum would be my all time favourite...and I really, really want a sequel!!!!

 

Does anyone agree??

 

For those who don't even know this game - some gameplay (It's an RPG, the BEST CRPG imho);

 

 

[Hurlshort]

Never heard of it.

[Tanjaxxx]

Never heard of it.

 

It's underrated imho....VERY underrated. It's honestly THE best! Was for me anyhow.  

[Tanjaxxx]

Trojka Games also made Vampire the Masquerade Bloodlines, if that sounds more familiar?? Though, I prefer Arcanum! 

[SonicMage117]

I agree. Would love to see an Arcanum 2 rather than Tyranny 2 or PoE3. We are at a great time to recover lost Crpg franchises so... they should take advantage of that fact.

[Gfted1]

Minutes into playing, after a grueling character creation, I was killed by a lone wolf. Exited the game and never played again.

[Heijoushin]

It was a great game, no doubts there. But Pillars has a reasonably similar setting (fantasy + guns, I mean), so there's no reason for another Arcanum when they can just do more Pillars sequels.

 

Now, a Vampire the Masquerade sequel? I'd donate to that kickstarter.

[wolfrider100]

Now I would really love to see a Arcanum 2 being made. To me the first Arcanum was

 

a underrated gem, plus I like any video game that takes place in a steampunk setting.

Edited April 30, 2018 by wolfrider100

[Hurlshort]

Trojka Games also made Vampire the Masquerade Bloodlines, if that sounds more familiar?? Though, I prefer Arcanum! 

 

I'm not a fan of Vampires.

 

[ShadySands]

Team Jacob it is then

[Amentep]

Minutes into playing, after a grueling character creation, I was killed by a lone wolf. Exited the game and never played again.

 

Who are you, Chris Avellone?

 

I keed, I keed.  I liked Arcanum other than the bug that ate a quest item from my inventory two thirds through the game that forced me to restart.

 

Oh and the unbalanced combat system that made magic a breeze and technology less than optimal as a path. 

 

 

Trojka Games also made Vampire the Masquerade Bloodlines, if that sounds more familiar?? Though, I prefer Arcanum! 

 

I'm not a fan of Vampires.

 

 

 

That's because you don't want people to pre-judge you because you sparkle.

 

I was kinda thinking...since (or at least, I've been told this) at least two from the three who worked at Trojka games work in Obsidian now...they should consider making Arcanum Steamworks of Magic 2???! :D 

 

Arcanum IP is owned by Activision, AFAIK.  So unless Activision wanted it to happen, it ain't happening.  A magic steampunk themed original game, they could do, but not really a sequel to Arcanum using the IP/Lore/Systems.

[Tanjaxxx]

 

Minutes into playing, after a grueling character creation, I was killed by a lone wolf. Exited the game and never played again.

 

Who are you, Chris Avellone?

 

I keed, I keed.  I liked Arcanum other than the bug that ate a quest item from my inventory two thirds through the game that forced me to restart.

 

Oh and the unbalanced combat system that made magic a breeze and technology less than optimal as a path. 

 

 

Trojka Games also made Vampire the Masquerade Bloodlines, if that sounds more familiar?? Though, I prefer Arcanum! 

 

I'm not a fan of Vampires.

 

 

 

That's because you don't want people to pre-judge you because you sparkle.

 

I was kinda thinking...since (or at least, I've been told this) at least two from the three who worked at Trojka games work in Obsidian now...they should consider making Arcanum Steamworks of Magic 2???! :D 

 

Arcanum IP is owned by Activision, AFAIK.  So unless Activision wanted it to happen, it ain't happening.  A magic steampunk themed original game, they could do, but not really a sequel to Arcanum using the IP/Lore/Systems.

 

 

*losses 5 hope points lol...but still has 2 left!* Thanks for the info though....

[Tanjaxxx]

 

Trojka Games also made Vampire the Masquerade Bloodlines, if that sounds more familiar?? Though, I prefer Arcanum! 

 

I'm not a fan of Vampires.

 

 

 

If you think the Twilight vampire version is the 'right' one, well..then you are lost!!!

[Vaeliorin]

Honestly, the systems of Arcanum were so awful I never managed to get that far in it.  Theoretically it was cool, but I found actually playing it to be awful.

 

Would love a spiritual successor with non-terrible mechanics, though.

[Ganrich]

As an Arcanum fanboy I feel the need to state that Activision owns the IP. That said, I am fine with a spiritual successor.

 

I love the character creation, but the systems that the abilities and attributes feed are not good by any standards. If you suffer the obtuseness of it, and persevere through early game... The world is very rich, and can pull you in like few other games. It's an odd combination of the fantastic while being grounded (somehow) that makes it interesting to me.

 

Open world, turn based, a very cool steam punk meets magic dichotomy and world, and a very deep character building system. It's basically a Steam Punk fallout that would have benefitted greatly from another 6 months to a year of dev time. If they maintain those 4 things in a successor... I'd bite in a heart beat.

 

Oh, and turn based only. No rtwp or TB hybrid like Arcanum. You only get two mediocre systems that way. They should find another way to keep trash fights from being tedious.

[the_dog_days]

Has anyone ever inquired after the rights to Arcanum, that we know of? Is Activision is at all amenable to selling IPs that are collecting dust?

[Ganrich]

Has anyone ever inquired after the rights to Arcanum, that we know of? Is Activision is at all amenable to selling IPs that are collecting dust?

There is a Feargus interview out there somewhere where he said they have made offers (IIRC more than a few times), but Activision wanted more. He indicated that it just wasnt financially feasible. Obsidian having had some issues financially made it impossible. He didnt give any hard numbers, though.

 

I somewhat think these big companies fear selling an IP theyve been sitting on for a decade to see a small time dev team turn it into the next TES franchise. All the while they sat on it doing nothing for a decade or more. It makes them look somewhat incompetent. So they likely try to sell the IP beyond its actual value. I'm not saying Arcanum would blow up like that, but it is far from impossible too. These companies saw what Bethesda did with Fallout in terms of name recognition among the mainstream. EA owns a whole lot of titles like Ultima, Wing Commander, etc that have similar potential to Fallout, for instance.

[the_dog_days]

Yeah, I knew EA was that way, but I wasn't sure if Activision was as stingy with their unused IPs.

Edited April 25, 2018 by the_dog_days

[sorophx]

I beat Arcanum and I don't remember anything about that game except for racist NPCs in the first area

[the_dog_days]

I beat Arcanum and I don't remember anything about that game except for racist NPCs in the first area

 

Are you talking about Virgil? First playthrough was as a half ogre with dumped int. Virgil was pretty savage. :D

Edited April 25, 2018 by the_dog_days

[Hurlshort]

 

 

 

 

If you think the Twilight vampire version is the 'right' one, well..then you are lost!!!

 

 

Still pretty shiny.

[Ganrich]

 

I beat Arcanum and I don't remember anything about that game except for racist NPCs in the first area

Are you talking about Virgil? First playthrough was as a half ogre with dumped int. Virgil was pretty savage. :D

One of the best aspects of the game imho. If half ogres were real, people like Virgil would have very negative reactions if they were supposed to save the world.

[Drowsy Emperor]

Coming fresh from Baldur's Gate 2 I really disliked Arcanum, an opinion which never really changed.

 

None of it's combat systems worked, the graphics were ugly, the cities unfinished and empty, the game broke and turned into Diablo in the latter segments and none of the characters or stories were particularly engaging. 

 

The only thing it had going for it was a novel setting, which it successfully realized (most of the time). And you could shag a sheep, if that was your thing.*

 

If this sounds harsh, take is as a reaction to Codexian worship of Tim Cain, who has never made a 'complete' game after Fallout 2.  Yes, Bloodlines had a wonderful first act, but after that it goes downhill and never recovers. 

 

I admire potential, but I appreciate complete works more.

 

*It also had one of the best quests ever written, where you're recruited by a dwarf to return a valuable family heirloom from a mine. Being the typical loot monkey, you expect it to be some jewel or weapon, but it turns out to be a toy train. This was both brilliant and humbling.

Edited April 25, 2018 by Drowsy Emperor

[melkathi]

I loved talking my way through the final encounter.

 

Also Torian Kel was one of the best evil npcs to join a player's party.

[Valmy]

The thing that I did not like about Arcanum was that it set up this really amazing magic vs. tech conflict and then had you fighting endless waves of animals and monsters the whole game. It very rarely used its own gimmick.

 

The ending almost made up for what a let down that was to me....almost.

 

So if Obsidian does decide to do a sequel to that game I sure hope they don't repeat that. That game is so old that Sierra published it...I presume they are long gone so it couldn't be hard to get the rights. But maybe they are but under a different name.